Review Summary: A scorcher.
Godflesh entered its final stretch once Justin Broadrick announced he is unable to play this music anymore in the wake of a major abdominal surgery earlier this year. The risk of developing further complications means he must focus on other projects such as Jesu or JK Flesh, which don’t require strenuous screaming. The growing discomfort and resulting physical pain was the root of
Decay and the resulting tunes are the most visceral the duo have crafted in a long time. As they drew influences from both recent and early material, the LP reveals a blend of punishing riffs and hallucinatory sonic segments. The perfect example is the opener, “Master and Slave”, whose foundation consists of a pounding, mid-‘80s Swans-type groove, complemented by various drones, sound scapes and whip samples. Halfway through, a hazy, dissonant guitar progression takes over, offering a slightly more melodic touch to the tune yet maintaining the overall brooding tone. Also, “Fodder” starts with a distorted bass line over a matching beat until Broadrick unleashes a poignant, cyclical riff. The latter feels as if the instrument is detuning in real time, creating an uneasy atmosphere. The tension built is soon relieved by a smooth, post-industrial-sounding counterpart. These contrasting moods have long been a part of the band’s charm.
Decay contains straightforward Godflesh bangers too, the most infectious being the first single, “Living/Ending”. Gritty, metallic leads are in full swing, whereas Ben Green’s murky low end sustains them. Once they kick in full gear, there’s nothing stopping the two. The occasionally inserted processed vocals fit this sound like a glove, adding extra power to the already raucous instrumental. Moreover, “Feral Colony” echoes the grinding,
Psalm 69-era Ministry output, combining relentless programmed drumming, razor-sharp guitars and dirty bass lines. Everything comes to a climax on the 11-minute slow burner, “Consume Me”, featuring an abrasive first segment, complete with spoken word. A haunting interlude follows, before one final round of bulldozer-heavy riffage ensues. The distortion level increases by the minute, crushing every layer until you can’t distinguish what is being played anymore. It is one of the most expressive cuts in their catalog so far and sums up what they wanted to achieve with this record.
It is a frustrating end for Godflesh and
Decay portrays this very well. At the same time, this is perhaps the most rewarding listen overall since they reconvened. The production brings back elements from the early days, but filtered through modern tools. It is also the shortest album in length and easiest to get into. Even though the band’s days are numbered and
Decay would have been a fitting epilogue, we can expect one last effort, which, hopefully, will turn out just as excellent as this one.
